P. Shannon Mullen is a parish pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The question “Why did Jesus die on the cross?” has been an obsession of his for many years. He is convinced that the conflict, violence, and injustice which infect our culture are made worse by bad atonement theory. He holds dear the notion that mimetic theory is a key for understanding Jesus’ death on the cross in a way that frees us from the violence rather than generating it. He is a charter member of a theological association dedicated to this work, TheologyAndPeace.org.